The first songs I can remember learning was traditional norwegian repertoire. It was lullabies, mysterious songs, love songs, cattle callings and dances. My father was a reverend in the norwegian lutheran church, and so I have grown up in various places, from the narrow Aurlandsfjord to the wide open coastal landscape of Nordhordland, and then back to Leikanger in the Sognefjord. Naturally, I grew up with a special relationship to the norwegian traditional hymns. My sister played the hardanger fiddle from childhood, my father played pump organ and tall bass in the local fiddler group in Aurland, and my brother also plays the tall bass in various folk groups. We arranged, improvised and used the traditional repertoire in my family as if it was our own words and melodies. 

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I am currently weaving this music into my classical concert programs, searching for a soundscape that is both new and strangely familiar at the same time. I have searched for norwegian tunes with european roots, and I have been expanding my traditional repertoire from places where I have lived, and from where my family have their roots. I have a great mentor in the traditional singer Berit Opheim, who is an incredible source of both songs and stories! I love how sitting down face to face and learn songs by ear immediately gives you an intimate connection to the repertoire. The same goes for the songs that grab your attention while searching for gold in hand written transcripts at archives. It is a treasure hunt through and through!

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Below you can see some of the concert programs where I mix my classical and my traditional repertoire. More projects are on their way, so stay tuned!

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